Many football rivalries spark over a land dispute, but not USC-Notre Dame. This crown jewel rivalry, now surprisingly on the ropes, reportedly began with a 1926 chat between the coaches’ wives, who were seeking a national rival. That handshake agreement for a biennial game in 1926 kicked off decades of tradition and brand power. Now in 2025? Notre Dame is still all in on this rivalry game, but Lincoln Riley’s USC is playing it cautiously. “We want to [play], but let’s see how this new playoff model shakes out.” Although they’ve agreed to a one-year extension, the message is clear: if the rivalry risks a playoff spot, they might walk away. That stance isn’t coming from the locker room, though. The players are built for this, but it’s the execs in suits who are calling timeouts.

First reaction? Clear as day—CFB needs a commissioner. Someone who actually puts the sport first. Right now, it’s every program for itself. ‘What helps us? What gets us in the playoff? What boosts the brand?’ That’s the mindset. But tradition, rivalries, and loyalty are all on the chopping block. If there was true leadership—someone with the authority to ensure USC and Notre Dame play annually, no exceptions—this problem wouldn’t even exist. Add this to the long list of reasons why the sport needs a steady hand. Not just for playoff paths, but for what makes college football, college football.

Now, Lincoln Riley’s USC is under scrutiny, not just for their record, but because their rivalry game is suddenly in limbo. On the May 26th episode of ON3, J.D. Pickell didn’t hold back. He urged the Trojans to think bigger. “For USC, speaking to the people in charge here—you need to play the long game here. This is an incredibly shortsighted approach to say, ‘Well, it might hurt our chances of making the playoffs, so therefore we’re going to take a step back.’ That’s not what this is about,” PicKell said.

He didn’t stop there. “If you’re a recruit or if you’re a coach or whoever, when you go to USC, part of that whole deal is you are playing Notre Dame. Whether it be earlier in the year because it’s going to be at Notre Dame, or whether it’s at the end of the year because it’s at USC, that’s how this thing works. That’s college football,” Pickell added. Translation? Playing Notre Dame is part of the equation.

Some rivalries are non-negotiable. Take Michigan—no matter what, they will be playing Ohio State. Texas? They HAVE to face Oklahoma. Conference lines don’t matter. Rankings don’t matter. It’s tradition. It’s rivalry. And it’s part of the territory. For programs like USC and Notre Dame, these matchups aren’t just games—they’re a promise.

The USC–Notre Dame rivalry is CFB at its finest—a clash that’s been thrilling fans since 1926. Through nearly a century of battles, Notre Dame holds the edge with 50 wins to USC’s 37, plus 5 hard-fought ties. This rivalry has seen epic streaks: Notre Dame’s dominant 11-game run in the ’80s and early ’90s and USC’s 7-game unbeaten streak in the 2000s. However, the biggest blowout? ND’s crushing 51–0 victory in 1966. These fierce foes meet every year—except during World War II and the 2020 pandemic—and they play for the legendary Jeweled Shillelagh trophy, a symbol of their historic showdown since 1952.

So, Pickell says the brands of USC and Notre Dame are nothing short of phenomenal—no question there. But when these rivals face off, the energy skyrockets. “You get more juice when you play Notre Dame. You get more juice when you play USC.” Well, neither team needs the other to stay legendary; both will remain iconic teams in college football, even if their rivalry ends. But with the future of this rivalry game hanging by a thread, CFB Insiders are sounding the alarm—Marcus Freeman’s unfair advantage is shaking up the game and stirring major chaos.

Marcus Freeman holds the edge, not Lincoln Riley

Notre Dame holds a unique edge in the CFP conversation, especially under the 4-4-2-2-1-3 model proposal. This model would grant automatic bids to 4 SEC teams, 4 B1G teams, 2 Big 12 teams, 2 ACC teams, 1 Group of Five team, and 3 at-large selections. Since Notre Dame is independent, it would be eligible for one of the 3 at-large spots without needing to play a conference title game. That means while other contenders battle through a grueling championship weekend, the Irish can stay fresh—healthier, rested, and still in contention. It’s a built-in advantage no other blue blood enjoys.

On the May 26th episode of The Ruffino and Joe Show, Blake Ruffino didn’t hold back on Notre Dame’s playoff position. He questioned how fair it really is that the Irish get the same shot as teams grinding through a conference championship game. “We’re talking about equality, and everything’s about equality—then they’re getting the better end of the stick of the equality,” he said. His point? Notre Dame skips the conference gauntlet while teams like Texas fight through extra battles for the same reward. “How do I tell every team that’s actually in a conference, that they don’t play in a conference championship game, [yet] they can be rewarded the same exact opportunities as you are, when you’re having to play an extra game?”

During the same segment, Joe DeLeone dropped a hot reminder—last season, Notre Dame did beat Georgia to punch their ticket to the CFP semifinals. QB Riley Leonard led the Irish to a statement win, knocking off the Bulldogs 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl. That’s the debate heating up.

But Ruffino didn’t hold back when calling out the flaw in Notre Dame’s setup. “We gotta admit there is a massive flaw with Notre Dame on that specific point,” he said. The issue? No conference championship game. He laid it out straight: if Notre Dame is truly elite—say, they don’t stumble at Northern Illinois—then yes, they deserve a top-four seed. “If they are that good, and they have shown through 12 games that they’re that good,” Ruffino emphasized. But when five different teams are sitting at 11-1 heading into the final stretch, he argued, it’s tough to justify giving a pass to the one school that didn’t have to earn it in a title game. So is it a glaring problem or just a unique path to playoff contention in the new era?